In the Heat of Battle 1
by theflashfirealchemist
Summary: Samantha Loche is on a journey to find her father, Brian Loche.
1. Chapter 1

In the Heat of Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own RE, Capcom does.

I keep my eyes shut tightly, not wanting to open them, but I know I have to; I have to keep moving so that they don't find me. The words my father said before we parted still ring fresh in my head. _In the darkness lies your fears. Listen Sam, you have to keep moving, I can't let them find you. It'll be okay, I'll find you, I promise. _

It's been a month since that day, the last time I saw my father. I am Samantha Loche and my father is Brian Loche. My mother is dead, she died a while ago, but I hadn't cared, I didn't like her. I had always been much closer to my father.

Finally I force my brown eyes open and stand up, yawning. Quickly I register the following things about my surroundings: 1- I'm surrounded by rotting men and women, holding their arms out towards me. 2- My knife is on the ground next to me. 3- There's no chance of escape.

I manage the cut the head off of one zombie, but they just get way too close to handle. Just as I close my eyes and prepare to die I hear a loud gunshot and some of the zombies fall. _BANG! _Another gunshot. The rest of the zombies fall and I slowly turn around with my hands raised. I know whoever's the owner of the gun probably doesn't mean to hurt me, but I'm not taking any chances, my father would have been devastated if I had died.

I see a tall, brunette girl with her long hair in a ponytail. She has pretty blue eyes and smiles at me when she sees that I'm just a child, at the age of twelve. She lowers her gun, takes a step towards me, crouches down, holds her hand out to me, and says, "Hello sweetie, what's your name?"

I look at her warily and consider the possibility that she could be bad, with the people I'm running from. I immediately rule out that possibility. I look at her and slowly start to speak, my voice a bit rusty from not being used. "My dad told me not to talk to strangers." I say, "But I trust you. My name's Sam. It's short for Samantha."

She smiles yet again and says, "I'm Claire Redfield." I take her hand, placing every ounce of trust I can muster into her. She leads me forward and asks, "So, what's your dad's name?" "Brian." I respond absentmindedly. Claire frowns, as if trying to remember something, but then shakes her head. "I don't know who that could be."

After a while of following Claire I ask, "Where are you taking me?" "To the other survivors." Comes Claire's response, echoing through the empty city, "Just a little farther." As promised, Claire leads me to a little camp. It's filthy, but nicer than the rest of the city. Claire introduces me to Rebecca Chambers. I immediately trust her.

After Claire and Rebecca finish introducing me to the very small group I feel tired. Nobody in the group besides Claire and Rebecca really caught my eye. Except for the only other kid here, a boy, age fourteen, by the name of Alex Marx. He wasn't particularly hostile or objecting my presence here, but he also wasn't particularly friendly.

In the morning I wake up. My dreams had been troubled by many things. The vacant way Alex talks, as if something bad had happened to him. Memories of my dad and the house we lived in. _The house! I forgot that key! _


	2. Chapter 2 A Key

In the Heat of Battle chapter 2- A key.

Disclaimer: I don't own RE or the characters. Capcom does.

I swear loudly. A little too loudly, which draws attention to me. Rebecca kindly asks, "What's wrong Samantha?" Rebecca has super short hair and pretty green eyes. She isn't particularly tall or short. "I forgot something." I respond slowly, carefully choosing my words, "At my house. I have to get it." A memory rushes at me, momentarily controlling my senses, making me deaf to anything that's said to me. _"Samantha, take this key, never NEVER leave home without it. It will help you, I promise." My dad says. I smile and take the key from his hands. "I promise Daddy." My voice comes out, sounding small and high, "Would you hide it for me?" _

My eyes snap back open. _When did I shut my eyes? _Claire's waving a hand in front of my face and calling my name. "Y-yes?" I respond, pushing her hand away from my face. "I was talking to you, but you didn't respond and I got worried after a while." Rebecca's soothing voice breaks in. "I just…. had a flash back." I say, trying to explain that sensation of reliving the moment.

I realize that everyone's eyes are on me. I shift uncomfortably and say, "I need to go back to my house." Claire (who seems to be the leader) thinks this over and asks, "Sam is it REALLY important?" I nod. She sighs and asks, "Where's your house?" I start to lead the way through the abandoned city. I find the familiar house and kick down the door. I see a note on the counter that reads,

_Dear Sam,_

_If you're reading this letter, I assume that you've forgotten the key. Yes, I wrote this letter to you after you left. Yes, I've been here after you. It was to make sure you left. If you look around, you'll see that they've been here. They searched everywhere for the key._

_Dad._

I take a quick look around. Everything's in place. _Whoever was here cleaned up after us….. _I sense somebody looking at me and whip around to see Rebecca. I crumple up the letter and stuff it in the pocket of my jeans. I slowly walk into my room. _This place is a sanctuary. There's no danger… At least right now. _I take a wire hanger from my closet and untwist it so that it's a hook. I go back to the kitchen sink and stick the hook down the drain.

After a little while I lift up the hook, which is now holding a key. _CLICK! _The doors lock and the ceiling starts to come down. I know what I did wrong. I had forgotten the replica of that key. I can't destroy the lights. Claire and Rebecca had refused to give me a gun and had taken the knife I had. The ceiling continues to slowly drop. _BOOM!_ Somebody blows through the door. Any other time I would have asked if they'd let me try it, but not now, I just needed to be rescued.

A tall man with slicked back hair in a tank top and jeans with a black tattoo walks through the smoke. "Need help _Princess_?" He asks, pulling out a 9mm handgun. I almost protest at the word princess, but think better of it. He easily shoots the lights out and the ceiling retreats back to its original position. "Thanks." I say, actually meaning it. "No problem." The guy replies coolly. _He kind of reminds me of Wolverine….. Better not tell him. _

"I'm Sam." I say. "Name's Billy. Billy Coen." Billy says, "Former Lieutenant, current escaped convict. One question, do you know the location of a Rebecca Chambers, short brown hair, green eyes, former S.T.A.R.S. member?" I look at him suspiciously. He seems to know a lot, but then again, he could just be Rebecca's boyfriend or something.

"Wait here." I say. He obediently waits as I walk out of the room. I quickly find Rebecca and ask, "Do you know a Billy Coen, looks kind of like Wolverine?" Judging by Rebecca's reaction, she does. She blushes a bit and nods. I smile and walk back to Billy. "Congrats." I say, still smiling, "You passed the test. I can trust you."

A smile creeps its way across Billy's face, but he quickly wipes it off. I lead Billy back to the others then go back up to my room. I go back into my closet and dig through the many bags. I finally find the one with the strange riddle printed on it. _The white rose, standing tall and pure cannot be tainted by even the bloodiest war. _It reads. I put the key in the lock and twist it. I hear a click and then another. The far-off ring of a bell rewards me.

I move the box out of the way and pick up the key that's in the small indentation under it. I quickly place the key, now covered in blood in the indentation. I notice the design on the plate. It's a rose. The rose slowly starts to turn red. I pick up the whole plate and head towards my father's study.

Once in the study, I place the place in a little indentation in the wall. Something clicks and a drawer in the desk pops open. I gingerly lift the real key from the drawer. The key has a small engraving on it that reads

_To the lion's den. _

For some strange reason these words send chills down my spine. I walk slowly down to the kitchen (where everybody's gathered.) We all chow on some of the food that we found in the cabinets. Claire says that it's a good idea to stay here for the night because it's already pretty late and we all agree. I curl up in my bed and have another fitful, dream riddled sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 Alex

Disclaimer: I don't own RE. Capcom does.

Yes, I know it's short.

A shaft of sunlight crosses Alex's face and he frowns. Alex realizes that he's the first up and creeps upstairs, to Sam's room. He quietly opens the door a bit and sees Sam clutching two silver lugers. Sam's brown hair looking a bit tangled and her brown eyes shut, emphasizing her long eyelashes. For a while, Alex ponders what she could be dreaming about. Alex creeps downstairs again and goes back to sleep on the couch.

Somebody's shaking him. Alex registers this and the familiar voice saying, "Alex, wake up. We're going soon." Alex opened his eyes and saw the owner of the voice. As he had expected, it was Sam. He groaned and shut his eyes against the bright light above his head. "Turn off the lights Sam." Alex said. Sam smiled. It was the first thing he had said since she had arrived. She walked over to the light switch and turned it off.

A few minutes later the group assembled and everybody was ready to move out. Sam described the bell tower in great detail. They all walk out the door of Sam's house and start the trek.


End file.
